Forums » Replicant development »
Learning Android development, the AndroidSDK, and Google's license agreement
Added by David Stephens almost 9 years ago
Hi,
I recently posted the following question to AskUbuntu (copied below). There haven't been any responses yet. I was wondering if any Replicant people would take a look at it, or perhaps bring it to the attention of someone who would be well-suited to answering it. Thanks.
-------
Question: How do I set up an Eclipse-based Android development environment that's FLOSS-only, without accepting any Google license agreements?
I am an Ubuntu user who is looking to start learning Android development. My first step is to set up an (Eclipse-based) Android development environment. Tutorials for how to do this can easily be found, including on the official Ubuntu website/wiki. However, all of these tutorials (including the one on Ubuntu's official website/wiki) provide instructions for downloading and installing software from the https://developer.android.com site, and (hence) include accepting Google's licence agreement as an unavoidable step. I'm not prepared to sign that licence agreement.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AndroidSDK
How can it be necessary to sign a licence like that? Is the AndroidSDK nonfree software? One hears differing answers to this question.
If the answer is that it really is nonfree, then my question is what is the best free alternative that the FLOSS community has to offer for the nonfree AndroidSDK? (I see signs that an effort was made a couple of years ago to create a ReplicantSDK, but that initiative doesn't seem to have been vigorously pursued since that time. Nor does it seem to have made its way into the Ubuntu/Debian repos. Were the issues that motivated the ReplicantSDK judged to have gone away in the meantime, perhaps?)
On the other hand, if the answer is that really the AndroidSDK is free in every significant respect, then my question is why isn't it readily available (eg in Ubuntu repos) without the vulgar imposition of this license agreement? And, if there's no simple way for installing a completely free version, what at least would be an awkward way of doing so?
It is strange that it's not straightforwardly in the repos, though tantalisingly it looks like many components of the AndroidSDK are in the repos. In fact they look like quite well maintained packages, as indeed might be expected for such a widely used piece of software as the AndroidSDK. Who are the intended users of those packages, then, if Ubuntu's official website/wiki directs users of the AndroidSDK to download/install from the Android Developers website rather than from the repos? Do the repos in fact contain all the significant parts of the AndroidSDK? If so, how would one use them to start learning Android development (eg using standard introductory tutorials, which assume that the user installs the AndroidSDK)?
Replies (2)
RE: Learning Android development, the AndroidSDK, and Google's license agreement - Added by Paul Kocialkowski almost 9 years ago
If the answer is that it really is nonfree
Apparently, it's not the case, see : http://code.paulk.fr/article0008/what-s-up-with-the-android-sdk
(I see signs that an effort was made a couple of years ago to create a ReplicantSDK, but that initiative doesn't seem to have been vigorously pursued since that time. Nor does it seem to have made its way into the Ubuntu/Debian repos. Were the issues that motivated the ReplicantSDK judged to have gone away in the meantime, perhaps?)
We have a Replicant SDK: ReplicantSDK that doesn't have specific terms of use (in addition to each software component's license), for the latest Replicant version (4.2).
This does not contain the ADK, and adding support for it is in our Tasks list. You're welcome to get starting on tackling the problem.
On the other hand, if the answer is that really the AndroidSDK is free in every significant respect, then my question is why isn't it readily available (eg in Ubuntu repos) without the vulgar imposition of this license agreement?
People like to rebuild from source anyways. I heard some Debian developers had interest in it, but it didn't go through apparently.
And, if there's no simple way for installing a completely free version, what at least would be an awkward way of doing so?
Grabbing the latest AOSP code source and building.
It is strange that it's not straightforwardly in the repos, though tantalisingly it looks like many components of the AndroidSDK are in the repos.
Correct, some of the components shipped along with the SDK are available standalone (they're easier to build separately).
In fact they look like quite well maintained packages, as indeed might be expected for such a widely used piece of software as the AndroidSDK. Who are the intended users of those packages, then, if Ubuntu's official website/wiki directs users of the AndroidSDK to download/install from the Android Developers website rather than from the repos?
Because only a few specific utilities are in the repos, far from the whole SDK, I guess.
Do the repos in fact contain all the significant parts of the AndroidSDK?
I very much doubt that, sorry.
RE: Learning Android development, the AndroidSDK, and Google's license agreement - Added by David Stephens almost 9 years ago
Thanks for that answer. That's all very useful to know, and especially useful to know authoritatively. I'll try the building from source approach, and see where I get with that.
I just finished watching your talk at FOSDEM15. I'm very impressed to learn about the very serious and important work that you've been doing. I hope I can one day make myself as useful to the free software movement as that. And then it's terrifying to learn that you started working on this stuff in high school. Very inspiring.